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Health and Welfare Plan Management

Buck understands the interdependencies involved
in managing health care and recognizes the unique
needs of members. We ensure that motivations and
end goals for short- and long-term benefit
strategies are considered every plan design, while
keeping programs cost-effective. We can assess,
anticipate, and manage the implications of an
ever-changing environment.

Benefit design and strategy
development: To have an effective benefit
plan design, a plan sponsor must have a strategy
that addresses its business environment, its
corporate goals, the regions and business segments
in which it competes, and the emerging health care
marketplace. Our team will help guide you through
the complexities of plan design, model with you the
appropriate alternatives, and implement a coherent
strategy for change.

Actuarial, financial, and funding
services: We assess, predict, and manage
the implications of an ever-changing environment.
With medical inflation as the most difficult trend
to manage, we assist in developing reliable
budgeting and pricing models. You can be sure your
health care programs will remain financially sound
in both the short and long term.

Benchmarking and comparative
analyses: Benchmarking objectively lets
you know how you are performing against your peers.
We believe that conducting a custom survey can be
more effective than simply pulling historical plan
information from a database, particularly given the
swift changes employers are making today in order
to meet financial challenges and Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requirements. This
way, we're able to capture the future direction of
your peer group and also incorporate
forward-thinking questions related to PPACA and
other current trends.

In addition, we also utilize purchased plan
design benchmarking data from outside sources to
provide cost and plan design information. Our
research has demonstrated that these studies
leverage strong databases of consistent study
participants and metrics, and provide us with a
better range of information for national, industry,
and geography averages than leveraging one study
alone.

Health care reform financial
modeling: The PPACA includes a number of
provisions that affect the design and cost of
employer-provided health plans. Our financial modeler helps you
analyze your PPACA implications, identify the
possible financial impact of various PPACA
provisions, and plan for the future.

Vendor management and performance
optimization: Many organizations have
turned to human resources and benefits outsourcing
as a means to reduce costs, leverage scalable
technology for transactional tasks, and focus
internal staff on strategic functions. However,
outsourcing to a service provider does not relieve
an organization of the governance and management
responsibilities for program administration,
employee satisfaction, and fiduciary oversight. If
you've made a significant investment in
establishing outsourcing relationships, you need to
protect that investment.

Buck uses a diverse team of experts who have
worked in a variety of vendor settings to serve as
your personal advocates to ensure that you get the
most and best from every vendor partner. Buck's
vendor management services in health and
productivity include developing customized
performance guarantees, adherence monitoring, and
issue resolution. In addition, we annually review
trends in cost, service, and access to ensure that
objectives are met.

Data warehousing: You have
data. But how do you use it? At Buck, we focus on
leveraging data with a replicable methodology that
takes data from its raw state to create knowledge
and, in turn, insight. Through our relationship
with Xerox, Buck has a proprietary data warehouse
and reporting platform that supports the consulting
process and drives the development of targeted
strategies. Of course, we recognize that you may
prefer using alternative vendor relationships, and
can work with any preferred vendor partner to
leverage data and reporting.